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Websleuths News

Join Websleuths Radio for the final discussion of THE KILLING SEASON
with Josh Zemam, Rachel Mills and special guests including Bob Kolker author of Lost Girls

You know, one of the things that angers me the most about Vanessa Coleman is that she didnt grow up in the bad environment that Cobbins and Davidson did. Not that those two didnt have people that cared for them or that it is an excuse for them. But Coleman had two parents that had jobs and provided for her and ensured she was in school and got an education. She was raised well and yet she still CHOSE to live the **** life.

Yes, Coleman grew up in a two-parent middle class family. Her parents were there every day and unlike the other defendants, they hired her attorney, Ted Lavitt, a prominent Kentucky lawyer.

people's backgrounds interest me as well, but I can't imagine hearing anything in her life that could make me sympathize with her. from what i've gathered she has a decent family life, nothing too traumatic to make her this way.. and I believe in an eye for an eye..i hope she gets kicked in the crotch EVERY DAY she is in prison. i really do. sorry if that offends anybody, but this whole thing keeps me up at night because she is possibly escaping justice. and i just can't imagine being one of the victims parents. my heart goes out to them every second of every day

Your post doesn't offend me. I have the same hopes for Vanessa you do. I just want to clarify that I'm not looking for a reason to be sympathetic. I just like to know what makes people tick.

lol you remind me of that Candice(sp?Candace?) woman on the ID channel she uses the same words(wanting to know what makes them tick) when she talks on the shows like "Deadly Women" and "Facing Evil" I wonder if she'd ever consider interviewing VC on facing evil.... I'd watch it, but I would probably want to reach through the TV screen and smack VC for lying

Your post doesn't offend me. I have the same hopes for Vanessa you do. I just want to clarify that I'm not looking for a reason to be sympathetic. I just like to know what makes people tick.

I agree Suzi. I would be interesting to know how these people thing. I understand robbery/theft. That motiviation is easy to see. But how can a person justify and seeminly enjoy the terrorizing and torture (sexual torture) and murder of completly innocent strangers? They seemingly all carried on later like it was no big deal. That I can never understand.

the state and that includes both Leland and TJ are doing all they can now to try to stop new trials because they all know they should have done something during the course of the trials, they all saw the Judge at times in court struggling to stay awake, slurring his words, they knew he had problems, if they had said something at the outset then we would not be in this mess

the families sat through 4 trials under this judge, hearing evidence no family should ever have to hear, but they attended each and ever day and it must have been horrendous for them, they should only have ever had to do it once, the state had a duty to make sure that there were no serious appellate issues such as an impaired judge that meant we had a do over

I think all 4 should get a do over, justice should be carried out to the highest standards and a judge who was seriously impaired and behaving as this one did should never have presided over such a trial,

Special Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood says he will not recuse himself from overseeing the Channon Christian and Chris Newsom murder cases.

In a hearing in court on Thursday, Blackwood said, "I intend to run this ship. I'm here by appointment of Supreme Court. Until Supreme Court tells me otherwise, I'm not leaving."

Prosecutors filed a motion on June 1 that asked Blackwood to step aside earlier this month. Their Motion To Recuse includes emails the state said the judge sent to attorneys involved in the case. References to rumors within the e-mails have prosecutors concerned.

KNOXVILLE (WATE) - A courtroom outburst Thursday between Senior Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood and District Attorney General Randy Nichols has people wondering if the judge is too emotionally involved in the Christian-Newsom murders case.

The outburst may have looked like a scene from a legal drama, but a Lincoln Memorial University professor says the Christian-Newsom case has everyone involved working overtime and tension is at an all time high.

As the DA and Judge Blackwood faced off Thursday about a motion for the judge to recuse himself from the case, the judge told Nichols, "You will sit down or I will hold you in contempt."

Professor Richard Gaines said, "It's very rare we have an explosion like this down in criminal court."

Apparently, the DA's office has not made a decision whether or not to (re) appeal Judge Blackwood's decision. I foresee a lot of focused attention from the media and the Bar Assn newsletter in the judge's future.

Judge Blackwood giving DA chance to argue Christian/Newsom recusal motion
"In an abrupt about face, Senior Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood is giving prosecutors a second shot at arguing he should step down in the 2007 torture-slaying case of a young couple."
rest of article here

this is just going to run and run and run, even if the DA gets Blackwood to change his mind the defence will appeal this decision, as I have previously posted if TJ and Leland and everybody else who knew the judge was impaired during the trials had called a halt and reported him then the Judge would never have presided over the trials and a competent judge could have been selected so the family only ever had to go through it once,

I can't imagine how angry both families must be, it must be like an open wound that is never allowed to heal,

this is just going to run and run and run, even if the DA gets Blackwood to change his mind the defence will appeal this decision, as I have previously posted if TJ and Leland and everybody else who knew the judge was impaired during the trials had called a halt and reported him then the Judge would never have presided over the trials and a competent judge could have been selected so the family only ever had to go through it once,

I can't imagine how angry both families must be, it must be like an open wound that is never allowed to heal,

Joe, this really is a mess beyond anything I have ever seen. I honestly can't imagine how this is going to play out. I do think Blackwood will eventually be have to step away. His statements about the prosecution are clearly inappropriate. I think it was a mistake for him to not certify the decision, but that is probably a moot issue at this point. Regretably I think retrials will likely have to occure thought my legal opinion is that they are not required. I think Blackwood will probably be reprimanded and the retrials passed to a judge outside of the district. What bothers me abotu this, is the the Knoxville District Court has tried to place the blame on the DA office. And that is wrong. I know of know requirement for the prosecutor to monitor the judge. The defense attorneys had the same knowledge yet are inexplicably cleared of blame. The other judges of the District Court are primarily responsible by judicial canon to monitor the integrity of the court. Yet that court apparantly has appointed Blackwood to deflect that blame elsewhere. I have little hope that Slim would have ever been executed given the current state of Tenn capital punishment, and I dont really think he nor Cobbins, nor Thomas will ever see the light of day again. But the damage done to the public's trust in the system is probably irreperable.

Joe, this really is a mess beyond anything I have ever seen. I honestly can't imagine how this is going to play out. I do think Blackwood will eventually be have to step away. His statements about the prosecution are clearly inappropriate. I think it was a mistake for him to not certify the decision, but that is probably a moot issue at this point. Regretably I think retrials will likely have to occure thought my legal opinion is that they are not required. I think Blackwood will probably be reprimanded and the retrials passed to a judge outside of the district. What bothers me abotu this, is the the Knoxville District Court has tried to place the blame on the DA office. And that is wrong. I know of know requirement for the prosecutor to monitor the judge. The defense attorneys had the same knowledge yet are inexplicably cleared of blame. The other judges of the District Court are primarily responsible by judicial canon to monitor the integrity of the court. Yet that court apparantly has appointed Blackwood to deflect that blame elsewhere. I have little hope that Slim would have ever been executed given the current state of Tenn capital punishment, and I dont really think he nor Cobbins, nor Thomas will ever see the light of day again. But the damage done to the public's trust in the system is probably irreperable.

(emphasis added by me)

Thank you for the legal insight and perspective as to the workings of what's going on in the case. I highlighted the areas in your post that answered some problems that had been vexing me. Your post is very much appreciated.